Subject: Soul Music

• Tonight @ Rhythm Lounge: Brenton Wood

  Late notice for a Long Beach appearance by brown-eyed soul star Brenton Wood, fixture at New Orleans' world-class rock & roll fest the Ponderosa Stomp and lots more. Says Ponderosa: Brown-Eyed Soul isn't about color. It's a way of life—music that is passed from generation to generation like a family heirloom…the Latino culture is like one big family." So says L.A. soul singer Brenton Wood, and he should know, for his songs rank right alongside those of thee Midnighters, Billy

  November 10, 2006

• One Cell In The Sea by A Fine Frenzy

  One Cell In The Sea, the latest from A Fine Frenzy starts out with a dainty chipperness that may lead you to believe the overall mood of the rest of the album may be continuously delightful. But singer/songwriter Alison Sudol is a tricky girl. By the third song "Whisper", she’s got you hooked and leads you down the rabbit hole into a storybook world of melancholy elegance and heartbreak. Alison’s delicate voice morphs between sweet coos and chirps against a soft piano, drums and the occasi

  August 14, 2007

• Video Savant: Four Tops' "You Keep Running Away"

  Four Tops' "You Keep Running Away"—BEST SONG EVER, right this second, and probably for many seconds afterward. Immortality in under three minutes. The video? Meh. However, it's the only one in the YouTube-iverse. But no matter. The composers of this song, those indefatigable pillars of the mighty Motown hit factory, Brian Holland-Lamont Dozier-Edward Holland, could fuse soulfulness, funkiness and hookiness with unparalleled panache. They found countless clever ways to write about heartbreak,

  March 4, 2008

• Your Masters Voice

  February 1, 2001

• How Sweet It (Still) Is

  November 21, 2002

• Out of the Shadows

  December 25, 2003

• The Harder They Come

  August 12, 2004

• This Week in the OC Weekly

  November 7, 2008

• A good day to own a record player: Marvin Gaye's 70th Birthday

  With only minutes to go until the afternoon sun leaks through my bedroom windows, I should probably be doing something productive like getting ready for work, finishing up an article or at least mowing the lawn or something. But I'm not, it's my day off. And luckily, it couldn't have come at a better time. A few months ago, after some light pestering on my part, my aunt agreed to loan me her 1968 Fisher turntable covered in dust. It was one of the first things she bought when she moved to her ho

  April 2, 2009

• Motown Mickey

  January 8, 2009

• Rhythm and Blue Balls: A Case Against Current R&B, A.K.A. 'Rap and Bullshit'

  January 1, 2009

• Dancing Snow Shoes

  December 18, 2008

• Diana Ross

  December 4, 2008

• A Woman's Touch

  September 11, 2008

• [Locals Only] Carnevel Kings 'World We Livin'' (Do Your Worst Records)

  May 22, 2008

• [CD Review] Jamie Lidell, 'Jim' (Warp)

  May 8, 2008

• [Sprawl of Sound] Eli 'Paperboy' Reed and Yet More Coachella Blurbage

  April 17, 2008

• Standing in the Shadows

  January 10, 2008

• In Sound We Thrust

  February 7, 2008

• Sobriety Now

  December 6, 2007

• The Anti-Amy Winehouse

  Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings Create Vintage Soul Music, Not Tabloid Headlines

  November 29, 2007

• Rays of Dope

  Cake’s Unlimited Sunshine Tour Exposes a Brilliantly Diverse Lineup

  November 29, 2007

• Change What You Can

  ARIANO,MUSIC2BREAKUP2 (Technicali Sound)

  February 8, 2007

• The Dead Shall Rise

  September 4, 2003

• Gloria Was Covered

  November 16, 2006

• Rooting for the Redwings

  October 19, 2006

• Live Review

  June 1, 2006

• Oh, What a Station!

  July 21, 2005

• Don't Mind Dyin

  June 30, 2005

• Love and Happiness

  January 20, 2005

• Done Got Over It

  July 22, 2004

• Greaser is the Word

  July 15, 2004

• Dog Day After June

  June 10, 2004

• Wiggers With Attitude

  November 13, 2003

• Mike McHugh's Top 5

  June 26, 2003

• Negrology

  May 22, 2003

• American A-Holes

  November 21, 2002

• Smokey Robinson Is My Bard

  September 19, 2002

• Looks Good, Tastes Great

  June 13, 2002

• New Music

  April 11, 2002

• Dr. Mike

  February 14, 2002

• Neither Doo Nor Wop

  November 29, 2001

• Stop or You'll go Blind!

  June 8, 2000

• American Psycho

  March 23, 2000

• He Smoked!

  September 23, 1999

• 10 Songs (Plus One Singer) to Make Love to (Group or Duo)

  February 18, 1999

• The Four Tops, the Temptations

  May 21, 2009

• Summ Summ Summertime

  I was on the treadmill last night when Rocket from the Crypt's "Summer Survivor" came on the ol' iPod. It's an upbeat ditty that appears to be about people taking over San Diego beaches. Some of my favorite lines include "wet t-shirt/in piss/sun block/with shit I don't care," "bougeouis vikings/dead by noon" and "tastes filling/less great/fake tits/as bait."Anyway, the tune got me thinking that summer is officially here. Each year around this time, I go through a few rituals that usually announc

  June 25, 2009

• Smokey Robinson

  July 9, 2009

• Life on the Veg: Veggie Stack at Memphis Soul Cafe

  Grace Le​ The biggest grievance vegetarians have while dining out is most likely going to be lack of selection. Most restaurants think they've got all their bases covered by keeping a few boxes of frozen garden patties in stock and a few salads on the menu. Upon first glance, Memphis Soul Cafe's menu seems to be the perfect example of such a cop out. That is, until you ask for the specials.

  November 11, 2009